


Embers of Revolution

by HofuNamaah



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Analingus, Dubious Consent, F/F, Mind Control, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:20:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21608947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HofuNamaah/pseuds/HofuNamaah
Summary: Most of the members of the Order of Heroes are beautiful, have an excess of time and few obligations, which has predictable consequences. While this state of affairs suits Aversa just fine, the arrival of a new group of Heroes presents her with an irresistible opportunity. Driven, skilled, and possessing exceptionally low Resistance, Edelgard von Hresvelg will be the perfect tool with which to start a revolution... once Aversa has had some time to shape her.
Relationships: Inverse | Aversa/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Kudos: 19





	Embers of Revolution

An intricate spell requires a sigil, though just how intricate, and the skill of the mage casting it, determines the sigil’s complexity. Sigils can be made with magical energy, but doing so lessens how much is available for powering the spell; they are also difficult to hide, owing to the light naturally released by the energy that creates them. As such, a physical sigil is usually the choice for any non-trivial spell, hex or sorcery meant to be cast surreptitiously. This type of sigil also has the advantage of being able to contain a spell to hide itself from sight and / or other methods of detection once it is activated, for little additional energy required.

All of the above were good reasons why Aversa had spent an hour levitating a few pieces of bone-chalk to trace a magic circle above the doorway into her chamber, but in truth the first part was the most important. While the simplest mental magic - compelling someone to glance somewhere in particular, making them temporarily lose their train of thought, breaking their concentration, that sort of thing - could, wielded by someone with sufficient skill and practice, be cast without the aid of a sigil, anything more sophisticated necessitates one, as mental magic far exceeds other kinds in complexity. And the hex she was preparing was complex indeed. The last markings were finished, and the chalk was back in its box. She looked over the circle, enormous in both size and intricacy, and quite impossible to hide with ordinary means... Just as she wanted it to be. Satisfied that it was free of errors, she got up from where she had been reclining and strode to her wardrobe. After all, before she called for the person the hex was intended for, she probably needed to put some clothes on.

Even if, assuming she had truly made no mistakes, they would not be necessary for long.

  


There was a knock at her door, and the scrying spell that she had been channeling for the past minute had already shown her that it was the right person approaching her chamber. She had begun sending energy into the circle as soon as her guest had entered the hallway; now she poured in the final bit, and it was activated. The effort had left her a bit spent, but she would have ample time to recover soon after the hex began its work. She waited for the light to fade from her fingertips, then called out, "You may enter."

The door opened outward, revealing Edelgard von Hresvelg standing in the hall. Lounging in a chair near the door, Aversa could see her quite clearly - and Edelgard her. Even before she had begun to step into the chamber, her gaze flicked over Aversa, quickly - but not immediately - meeting her eyes. Aversa was well aware of her own beauty; a potent tool in most situations, here it was the perfect distraction. The circle, glimmering with power, faded as its hex was released. Taken in by Aversa's natural allure, Edelgard would not be able to separate that sensation from the subtle one of the hex taking effect. At least, that was Aversa's plan. While she was confident in it, the next few moments would tell her if it had been successful.

Edelgard's expression changed only slightly, so little that it would be missed by anyone not looking for it. Hey eyelids drooped a fraction lower; her lips parted a sliver; her head and shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit. The changes were so minute that it wasn't even correct to say that Aversa truly saw the differences, only that she saw the movements of each part, all the confirmation she needed that the hex had struck true.

But that was not really a point of concern. What really mattered was if Edelgard had noticed or not.

Edelgard had been standing still the moment she had laid her eyes on Aversa and when the hex had struck, but she did not remain still, beginning the motion of pulling the door closed behind her just as she had doubtlessly intended to before. She kept her eyes disciplined, not breaking Aversa's gaze as the door swung closed, nor as she walked a few steps toward her. If she was intimidated, then she was keeping it very well hidden.

"You wished to speak with me?" Edelgard asked.

"I do. But please, there's no need to be so stiff." Aversa answered. The first test.

"Please do not take my posture for stiffness. It is natural for me, a consequence of my upbringing." But despite her words, she let her shoulders loosen, and her head fell forward a bit more. It was far from relaxed, but she certainly wasn't holding her head high anymore. And yet her expression was unchanged, so it seemed as though she hadn't noticed. The first test, passed.

"Oh, if you say so. You certainly aren't alone in that here, are you?"

"Indeed. There are so many here that are of royal blood, and even more of noble birth. But I assume that you did not ask me here to share that observation."

"Truly, I did not. Though I hear you rank among the royals. And that makes some take especial notice of you. Tell me, has anyone else... expressed interest in you?" Aversa uncrossed her legs and then crossed them the opposite way as she spoke the end of her sentence. The second test.

"Not as of yet. I have only been here a short while, after all."

"Of course. But you know, some people here have no hesitation at all. You are aware of what they get up to, aren't you?" Aversa had been leaning on her left hand, but she pulled it away and straightened up, leaving her chest unobstructed. Edelgard's eyes flicked to the motion, and lingered. "It's hard not to." As Aversa spoke again, Edelgard's eyes returned to hers.

"Indeed, it would be difficult to not notice. You would have to be especially naïve, oblivious, or innocent. Though it seems there are some-" Edelgard's stance shifted as she spoke, from standing straight to resting her weight on her left leg, her left hand on her left hip, and pulling her shoulders back, presumably to bring her chest forward. "- here who fit those descriptions as well."

The desire to grin was instinctive, but one Aversa easily brushed aside. "Naturally. But not you, of course. Still, no one?"

"Perhaps in some subtle fashion that I have missed, but nothing overt enough for me to say definitively." She looked at ease in her new stance, and she had answered Aversa’s very forward question without hesitation. The second test, passed. “You seem insistent. Are you concerned for me?”

“You could say that. As I said, some – well, a few people in particular – will doubtlessly try to convince you to join them in those… activities. And you are rather young, so while I am sure that you are indeed not innocent or naïve, I know that they can be especially persuasive. And when that happens, because it will…” Aversa curled and uncurled the fingers on her left hand as she spoke, but Edelgard held her gaze unwaveringly. But as she paused in her sentence, Edelgard interjected.

“I would do better to be prepared than the alternative, correct?”

Suppressing a grin was easy; it took much more for Aversa to not betray her surprise at those words. Gauging if someone had noticed any kind of subtle mental magic cast upon them was always difficult if it hadn’t obviously failed, but doing so was absolutely necessary. If the subject knew they had been hexed, it was immensely difficult to both make them forget and have them still be in the desired mental state; the solution was usually to remove the memory and try again quite a while later. Worse still was if the subject knew and managed to not let on that they did – while rare, this could have myriad unpredictable effects, usually involving some level of failure of the spell’s effects at a critical time. As either outcome could be potentially catastrophic, Aversa was always very careful and methodical in checking to make sure she had been completely successful…

“And you wish to aid me in this preparation?” Edelgard wore the same serious look that she had for the entire conversation, as though she hadn’t just suggested Aversa teach her how to reciprocate the promiscuous members of the Order of Heroes’ advances, or rather, that there was nothing strange about doing so.

But while Aversa enjoyed the conversational dance that was verifying the efficacy and perceptibility of her spells, if the hex had worked so thoroughly already, there was no need to spend extra time and effort continuing to do so. “You catch on quickly.” She uncrossed her legs and stood up from her chair. “Now, there is always more that someone can learn, but to know how much you need to be taught, I’ll need to see where you stand.” Now she let herself grin. “Metaphorically.” She beckoned, and Edelgard closed the distance between them, kneeling just shy of Aversa’s boots. She looked up at Aversa, not quite expectantly, but clearly waiting for her next instruction.

Aversa widened her stance, lifting the front of her skirt slightly with a finger, and Edelgard reached under it, one hand on each leg, and moved upward until she found the edges of Aversa’s panties. Aversa had forgone her usual stockings to make this part easier, and at her nod, Edelgard slipped them down her legs. When she had brought them near the floor, she held them in place, and Aversa stepped out of them; she then laid them on the chair’s armrest. She reached up to Aversa’s skirt, presumably to pull it up, but Aversa shook her head with a grin. “First,” she said, tapping her leg.

Edelgard brought her mouth to Aversa’s thigh, kissing it gently as she rubbed her calf with her hands. After a few kisses, she licked upward and downward a few inches, then resumed kissing, repeating this pattern horizontally until she could go no further, then in the opposite direction above the previous row. After she moved up, she brought her hands to the back of Aversa’s thigh, carefully squeezing it with both of her hands. Aversa was entirely unsurprised by how methodical she was, especially as she hadn’t told her to do otherwise. After enjoying the worship for a bit, she said, “Not bad. Now show me your passion here,” tapping her other thigh.

Edelgard switched without hesitation, both to the other thigh and in her approach. Whereas before she had been careful about the duration of her kisses and licks being consistent, now she did both with little regard for timing. Her grasp remained gentle on Aversa’s calf, much to her relief, but on her thigh Edelgard was kissing rapidly up and down, licking upward from her knee to the edge of her skirt, and occasionally sucking on the inner part. Impressed, Aversa said, “My, you were right about not being innocent. But I wonder where you learned this?” Edelgard stopped mid-lick, her face angled up toward Aversa, but before she could pull back her tongue, Aversa said, “Don’t stop. But do stay like that for a moment. You’re wearing a very compelling expression.” Edelgard’s eyelids drooped slightly, but she stayed still otherwise, and Aversa’s grin widened. After admiring her facial expression for a few moments more, she nodded, and Edelgard resumed her ardent worship. Having moved far enough upward again, she grasped at the back of Aversa’s thigh, squeezing it more forcefully than before, too hard for bare moments before she corrected herself. She ran her left hand up toward the bottom of Aversa’s rear, cupping the bottom of her cheek and squeezing there once she had a decent purchase on it.

Aversa let her continue this quite a bit longer than the first time, humming contentedly when Edelgard did something particularly pleasurable. But as Edelgard’s nose drew up against the edge of her skirt, she commanded, “Switch.” Edelgard did so, starting from the bottom again, though her touches were slightly more ragged, and she wasted no time in grabbing Aversa’s ass again, this time with her right hand. Aversa let out an appreciative “Mmmm” as she felt her flesh sink under Edelgard’s fingers. “Yes, like that. You can be a little rough.” Edelgard obeyed, squeezing her cheek forcefully, reaching upward to grasp the inside with her fingers. That felt even better, but Aversa was more than disciplined enough to not make it too obvious. “In there, hmmm?” Edelgard looked up at her again, leaving her tongue against Aversa’s thigh like before, and nodded, dragging her tongue up and down as she did. Aversa chuckled. “Very good. But later.” Edelgard nodded again, then faced Aversa’s thigh as she continued her adulation. Aversa let her continue, but a breath through her nose told her that her own arousal was becoming noticeable, and while Edelgard wouldn’t react to it until she was told to, it was a good sign to move on. After a few seconds more of feverish kissing and groping, she placed her hand on top of Edelgard’s head, and she withdrew from Aversa’s thigh, looking up at her again with the same not-quite-expectant expression.

Her hair was tousled from moving her head so much, so Aversa said, “Pull your hair back. You know what’s next, don’t you?” as she sat back down on the edge of her chair. Edelgard nodded, wetting her lips as she pulled her hair into a ponytail with one hand.

“A true test of my abilities.” She said, her lips remaining parted after she finished speaking. She scooted forward, so that her knees were level with the legs of the chair.

“Oh, I suppose,” Aversa replied, spreading her legs and lifting her skirt with two fingers. “It all is, really. You’ll be subjected to whatever they can think of, so you’ll need to be quite adept at everything.”

“You won’t be disappointed,” Edelgard answered, and as soon as the words had left her lips she leaned forward, her hands still on her knees, and began to kiss between Aversa’s legs. Spurred on perhaps by Aversa’s command, perhaps by her own arousal, and likely a combination of the two, she wasted no time on gentle touches, instead opting to suck each lip between her own. At first, this was quite pleasurable for Aversa: she had been turned on since Edelgard had walked into the hall, so slightly more aggressive stimulation was fine. But quickly, Edelgard began increasing the pressure with which she held Aversa’s lips, and licked them rapidly inside of her mouth. Wincing for a moment, Aversa put her free hand on Edelgard’s forehead, pushing her back slightly.

Edelgard met her eyes, her expression a mixture between questioning and annoyance. “Eager, aren’t we? That’s good, but too much too quickly isn’t.” Edelgard’s face started to fall, but Aversa lifted her chin with a finger. “What you were doing at first was fine. Go slowly. Be a bit more like you were at first here.” She tapped her thigh, and Edelgard nodded, her face determined. “Before long, you’ll make me want to go where you just were.” She tapped Edelgard’s head lightly, and she moved back between Aversa’s legs. She took the advice to heart, sucking delicately on one lip, then the other, occasionally licking them with the tip of her tongue just inside her mouth, and Aversa began sighing in appreciation. After a couple of minutes, Edelgard began holding each lip between her own, forcing its edge through the gap, and licking it in earnest, and Aversa couldn’t help but hum with pleasure each time she did. Soon Edelgard forwent sucking entirely, alternately slowly running and rapidly flicking her tongue up and down Aversa’s folds, to which Aversa responded with blissful moans.

After some time of this, Aversa put her free hand on the back of Edelgard’s head, and slowly pulled her closer, murmuring, “In.” Edelgard looked up at Aversa as she obeyed, her tongue stuck out once more and she gradually slipped it inside, and Aversa laughed huskily. “Very good.” Edelgard thrust her tongue in and out, wiggled it back and forth, and pressed her face further into Aversa’s folds, until her nose was pressed just beneath Aversa’s clit. She began to move her lips, and the combination of sensations made Aversa buck her hips. Edelgard pulled back slightly to take a breath, her nose shining, and Aversa could hardly stop herself from pulling her back immediately. “Make it a deep breath, because you won’t be getting another for a while.” Aversa said, hand ready to shove Edelgard’s face back against her. Edelgard did breathe in, so very slowly, and closed her eyes as she did, obviously relishing in the scent. Aversa laughed quietly. “Enjoying it?” Edelgard nodded, finishing her breath as she did so. Aversa didn’t bother saying more, instead pulling Edelgard’s face against her and rocking her hips against it. Edelgard moaned, the vibration resonating through her face, tongue, and nose, and Aversa began to grind even harder against her. She made her tongue rigid, so that as Aversa moved, it could move in and out of her, and Aversa groaned with pleasure. As Edelgard’s nose began to bump against her clit, Aversa’s rocking grew more erratic, and she clamped her legs on either side of Edelgard’s head, though she managed to hold herself back long enough to allow Edelgard to breathe again. This time, she quickly sucked in all the air she could through her nose, and the instant she was done, Aversa pulled her against her with her thighs, making up for the lost moments of stimulation by rocking against her in an absolute frenzy. Soon she felt the hot pulsing of an imminent orgasm, and settled down to grind Edelgard’s nose against her clit in earnest. Seconds later, the pulsing grew too rapid to control, and she arched her back as waves of euphoria rippled through her, her body shaking in answer to them.

Even before she stopped shaking, she let Edelgard pull away her nose to take another breath; even though she was moaning as well, her eyes unfocused, it became clear that her nose was too smeared to be able to be properly breathed through, and so Aversa reluctantly unclamped her legs from around her and allowed her to sit back. Edelgard truly was a mess, her whole face covered in Aversa’s wetness, her nose running, and a few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks. “You wear that look exceptionally well,” Aversa said, slightly breathless. “Which is just as well. It would be an awful shame if you didn’t. Now then…” She stood, stepping over Edelgard before she could try to move, and retrieved a pair of small towels from a table nearby. She handed one to Edelgard, and began to wipe herself off. “You may very well be left covered in others’ mess, but seeing as you still have something else to do, I don’t see why we can’t leave that specific bit of preparation for another time.”

Wiping off her nose, Edelgard waited until she had moved on to her cheeks before she replied, “If that is what you think is best, then I have no objections.” She wiped off her lips, the strands of hair, and finally blew her nose, then held the towel out questioningly.

Having finished wiping herself off, Aversa took the towel from her, wrapped it in her own, and then let it fall to the floor beside the table. She strode behind Edelgard, pulling off the rest of her clothes as she walked, and stopped just short of directly behind her. “Turn around,” she said. When Edelgard did, she would be facing the circle drawn above the door. If the hex had truly taken effect without her noticing, then she would see it, but pay it no mind, as an innocuous part of the room’s decoration. If it had not, then in her spent state she would probably be unable to stop her eyes from glancing at it and showing some sort of reaction. This was the final test.

Edelgard turned around, standing on her knees rather than sitting on her heels to make the movement easier, and ended up facing the door. Her field of vision was high enough to see it… but she didn’t even look at it, instead turning her head to face Aversa.

Aversa smiled, glad that she wouldn’t have to start all of this over. The final test, passed. And since she had passed, it would be unfair not to give her a reward. “Do you remember what I said before?” She asked, hips swaying as she sidled the final steps to be between Edelgard and the door. She turned, looking over her shoulder at Edelgard, who did not hesitate a moment in answering, “I do.” “Well then,” Aversa said, turning away and lifting her ass just a bit with her hands, “don’t make me wait.”

Edelgard scooted forward on her knees once more, and this time brought her hands up to grab Aversa’s cheeks, but Aversa lightly swatted away her right one. “Just your left. The right is for you.” She adjusted her grip, pulling her right cheek to the side slightly. “Thank you,” Edelgard said, sincere gratitude in her voice, and even as she clutched Aversa’s left cheek, pulling it to the side, Aversa heard her gasp.

She didn’t really need to, but knowing that she had been successful had put Aversa in an even better mood, so she took advantage of Edelgard’s face not yet being buried in her ass to say, “You don’t need to worry. It’s as clean as the front was. Askran bathing facilities really are a marvel, aren’t they?”

“They truly are.” Edelgard sighed quickly, then continued, “I thought I had experienced the height of luxurious bathing in Enbarr, but even that pales in comparison to here.”

“Yes, we had nothing remotely like this in Plegia or Ylisse either… But regardless, it’s clean, so no need to hesitate.”

“Of course not.” Edelgard said, and again, the words were hardly out of her mouth before she was kissing up and down each of Aversa’s cheeks. While she did, humming again at the more pleasant touches, Aversa traced another scrying spell with her free hand, and in front of her face appeared a portal – through which she had a perfect view behind Edelgard and herself. The waist of Edelgard’s pants was wrapped around her right ankle, and her kneeling legs were spread far enough apart to allow her hand plenty of room to work. But it was moving slowly, methodically, at least from what Aversa could see. She laughed quietly again, and reached behind her back with her once-again free hand. She placed it on the back of Edelgard’s head, and pushed toward her slowly. “Lick. But you don’t need to go deep.”

Edelgard obeyed, and Aversa immediately felt the slick wetness of Edelgard’s tongue on the soft skin of her asshole. She circled it around and around, and her quiet moans told Aversa she was clearly enjoying the soft, pliant sensation on her tongue. Removing her hand from Edelgard’s head, Aversa moved her fingers to her clit, delicately brushing them over the hood and underneath the glans. As Edelgard began to lick more vigorously, she rubbed more forcefully, escalating until Edelgard, panting, thrust her tongue inside. The slippery, slick feeling of her tongue up Aversa’s ass was lovely, but hearing and feeling her moans reverberating through her body was even better. Edelgard seemed to have two fingers buried inside herself, but the movement of her elbow told Aversa that she was touching her own clit as well. Aversa started to brush hers directly, but very slowly. She didn’t want to finish before Edelgard did.

She didn’t have to wait long, as Edelgard, her tongue thrusting in and out of Aversa in a staccato, irregular frenzy, was soon moaning loudly, her voice distorted by her tongue being stuck out. While it took Aversa an effort of will to not immediately send herself into an orgasm while listening to that sound, Edelgard was soon crying out, her legs shaking as she started to come –

This was the moment Aversa had been waiting for. Removing her fingers from her clit for a moment, she pushed Edelgard’s head against her ass, bending forward slightly, and once she was sufficiently smothered, switched hands, holding Edelgard’s face in with her right hand and furiously rubbing her clit with her left. Edelgard’s hand never stopped moving, and the vibrations from her muffled screams almost seemed to match the spasms inside Aversa as she came.

  


Standing by the door, Edelgard looked over at where Aversa was lying on her chaise lounge. “Thank you for today’s lesson,” she said.

“Oh, pay it no mind. But as I said, it will be the first of many. You have quite a bit of potential, and I would hate to see it snatched away.”

“I am pleased that you think so,” Edelgard said, “but is that truly the only reason you are teaching me?”

Aversa’s expression remained the same, but the question was troubling. Generally, a mental hex included a component that precluded questioning of whatever the subject is being directed to do. The reason is obvious; if the subject sees whatever actions they are taking or thoughts they are having as anything but natural, they may gain some level of awareness of being hexed, which, as outlined previously, can have disastrous consequences. Allowing the subject to question the motives of the mage could be equally dangerous, but stopping someone from doing so ran a much greater risk of being noticed. It is natural for people to wonder at why another person does any given thing, and therefore the usual protection was to allow the question to be formed, but to answer it with positive feelings before the subject could form an answer themselves. Edelgard’s question was not concerning her own actions, so that part of the hex was likely working as intended. But that she had felt the need, in spite of the spell’s assurances, to actually question Aversa at all about her motivations was worrisome.

Still, it wouldn’t do to jump to conclusions, and Aversa was far too practiced to let something like this shake her confidence. Better to probe, and see what exactly Edelgard meant. “Oh? Do go on.”

“I can see that I have a great deal to learn from you. But imparting all that knowledge merely for the sake of my protection would not seem to have much benefit for you. Surely this training is for some greater purpose than my own safety.”

Aversa suppressed a laugh. Of course. Even if she had not made any reference to it, there was more to the spell’s suggestions than desiring Aversa’s tutelage. It was not unreasonable for Edelgard to be able to sense that there was more that she would be doing under Aversa’s direction; Edelgard’s natural sense of purpose was what had made her attractive to Aversa in the first place. Adjusting the particular purpose a bit was much more easily accomplished than creating motivation to do something out of nowhere. “Ah, yes. You are perceptive. As I have said, you will certainly fall into the clutches of those I have been warning you about. There is no question that they already do desire you. But I believe that you can use that to your advantage.”

Edelgard’s right hand had been at her side, presumably ready to reach for the door, but now she brought it forward, crossing her hands in front of her. She had been attentively listening before, but now all of her focus was on Aversa’s words.

“Who better to infiltrate their ranks than one whom they will invite in? And who better to be that person than you?”

Edelgard shook her head. “I acknowledge that you may see potential in me, but I think you overestimate my current abilities. You can see that I have much to learn, and I have no doubt that there are heroes here, ones with actual accomplishments, that could better serve your needs than I can. In truth, I am uncomfortable being counted among the heroes at all, let alone for some grand undertaking.”

“What you need to know, I can certainly teach you. That need not be a concern. And it is not that I see potential, but the kind of potential, that makes you the perfect person for this plan. You dreamed of revolution in your world, did you not?” In a way, it was better to have this conversation now anyway, regardless of her hand being forced. Edelgard wasn’t really the type to lose herself in the pleasures of the moment; a more natural state for her would be working toward a concrete goal.

“I did, and do. I do not know when I may return, but my desires for my home have not changed.”

“Nor should they. To right the wrongs of your world is a noble goal; one to keep close to your heart. But as you say, you know not when you will return, as none of us here do. So, why not channel that spirit into righting the wrongs of this world?”

Edelgard’s lips parted; she was catching on, in the way only someone whose mind was hexed to reach a certain conclusion could. “You mean…”

“No need to tiptoe around it. Surely you have noticed the Order of Heroes’ absolute surplus of manpower? The Summoner has never needed more than forty Heroes at a given time; usually the number is far less. Yet how many hundreds of Heroes reside here, most of them neither innocent, oblivious or naïve, and with few responsibilities outside of answering the Summoner’s infrequent calls for assistance? Much of the current state of affairs is only natural in these circumstances. But one individual, in a manner of speaking, seems to be so naturally suited to this environment that she made herself its center with little effort.”

Edelgard nodded. “It is as you say. But as one person, yet many individuals, she has gone from being at its center to being omnipresent, controlling most of it.”

“Exactly. And while the worst that has come of her rule so far is the brazenness of some Heroes’ advances and activities, the potential for future tyranny is obvious. So, why not put a stop to her domination before things reach that point? The stakes are quite a bit lower, as well, so it should serve as good practice for when you return to your home.”

Edelgard’s looked down, her expression growing serious. “I see. None could doubt that such power could be easily abused. And while I imagine the methods will hardly be the same, I can see how doing this would provide practical experience.” She looked up, her skin flushing and lips parting slightly as she met Aversa’s eyes once more, though she was likely unaware of it. “Very well. I offer you my complete support.”

Rather than hiding it or turning it into another expression, Aversa let out the grin pulling at the corners of her mouth; the hex meant Edelgard would not notice that it was more one of satisfaction than gratitude. “How wonderful. Well then, your next lesson will be at the same time tomorrow. Teaching you to not give in to their methods and allure will require quite a bit of training, and we are somewhat limited on time. You already have not escaped their notice, and you cannot avoid them forever.”

Edelgard nodded again, her hands returning to her hips. “Indeed. I will need to be ready when they draw me in, so that I can avoid drawing suspicion by refusing and then later agreeing. Rest assured, I will put all I have into mastering your lessons. Please do not hold anything back.” At those words, her eyelids drooped, and the corners of her mouth pulled up into the beginnings of a smile.

“Don’t worry. I will make sure you are more than adequately prepared. Once you have reached that point, we will discuss the finer details of the plan. Best not to get ahead of ourselves.” Aversa turned, going from laying on her side to her back. “Now, unless there is anything else you wish to ask, you should take your leave. Tomorrow will be far more taxing than today, so you will need your rest.”

“I will, after one last question.” Edelgard said, mulling over the phrase for a moment. Aversa looked over at her, waiting for her to continue. “Surely there is a more concise way to refer to them? I must admit, I have been trying to think of a way for much of this conversation, but I cannot come up with anything satisfactory. Princesses of Nohr is inaccurate, as she has a sister… who also is present as multiple individuals, making it an even worse distinction. And isn’t one of them actually a queen?”

Aversa turned her head to look back at the ceiling. “Yes, one among them is the queen of her land. I suppose there is no formal name for them as a whole. The Council of Camillas, the Camilla Collective… use whichever you wish. There should be no one else involved in any discussions pertaining to them, so I think we will both know who we mean.”

“Very well. Thank you again, Aversa. I eagerly await my next lesson from you.” Aversa glanced over, watching Edelgard as she closed the door behind her. Once she was gone, she traced a spell in the air, and the sigil on the wall flashed with energy once more, then faded from view. Satisfied, she stretched, her arms and legs spread. She supposed that she should bathe… And after a moment’s hesitation, she rose, walking toward the bathroom. As enjoyable as it would be to trace another scrying spell and watch what Edelgard did when she returned to her room, it was for the best if she didn’t wear herself out. After all, daily service from Edelgard was going to push her body to its limit too, if she wasn’t careful.

Really, what a lovely problem to have, she thought as she opened the bathroom door. She chuckled to herself, and pulled it closed behind her.


End file.
